Sonia Sotomayor had a unique upbringing compared to mine. We all can claim the same about our upbringings. She draws on her experiences as input to her personal and legal decision-making just as all judges do.

Many of the posts on this Board about the Supreme Court are predicted on the illusion that judges strictly interpret the Constitution and law. Bull. How many of you have ever heard the term "substantive due process" or "original intent"? I'd say a few, if any. Those who drafted and ratified the Bill of Rights intended that its provisions apply only to the acts and actions of the federal government (original intent). You would be hard pressed to cite any conservative Court majority opinions that were not the result of "substantive due process".

Ever since Dred Scott v. Sanford in 1857, the Court has been using "substantive due process" and eschewed "original intent" as inputs to its rulings regardless of the ideology of its justices.